A court in the Philippines revoked the permit to grow rice genetically modified to boost vitamin A, but the government is expected to appeal against the decision
The Philippines government will object to the decision, says Adrian Dubock, a member of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board that guided the rice’s creation. “An objection will be filed with the appellate court, and I presume will be successful,” he says.Golden rice was developed to combat vitamin A deficiency, a major cause of disability and death worldwide.
In the 1980s, a group of scientists set out to genetically engineer rice to contain beta-carotene, which became known as golden rice because of the colour from the pigment.In 2021, the Philippines became the first country to approve the cultivation of golden rice – which is known there as malusog or healthy rice –. It has also been approved for eating in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
This means that over the past three years, people who might benefit from the rice have finally been able to eat it. For instance, this year, the town of San Mateo introduced golden rice into its feeding programme for severely underweight children. ABut on 17 April, the Court of Appeals in the Philippines revoked the permit for golden rice as a result of a case brought by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and other groups.
“This decision is a monumental win for Filipino farmers and Filipino people who have for decades stood up against genetically modified crops,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Wilhelmina Pelegrina Dubock says his understanding is that the court decision rests on certain technical errors that were made during the approval process. “I have to assume the Philippine government will win its appeal,” he says.Scientists have also applied for a permit to grow golden rice in Bangladesh, but the country has been delaying a decision since 2017. “The need is greater than in the Philippines,” says Dubock.
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